City Council pushes street renaming ordinance, public safety headquarters contract revision, and other DT-related items

This is one of those “for the record” posts: City Council pushed all of the downtown-related ordinances through its consent agenda today, meaning, they were approved without discussion.

• One of the ordinances marked the end of the highly-publicized battle over the renaming of Durango Boulevard to Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard. The city and the Conservation Society, which sued the city over the change, settled. New procedures essentially require the approval of the Historic and Design Review Commission when renaming major or historic streets. Details here Friday morning. Agenda item

&#149. The design contract to Hensel Phelps Construction Co. for the Public Safety Headquarters, under construction on the corner of South Santa Rosa and West Nueva, was adjusted. For reasons dealing with added security (blast walls, bullet resistant windows, etc.) and fire code requirements, the contract total increased by nearly $2 million to $49.1 million. More on this Friday morning. Agenda item

• Developers Rocky Creek Partners, LLC, were awarded an incentive package worth $715,230 for its South Flores Lofts, located at 1010 S. Flores St. According to the agenda, the project will include up to 56 market-rate units, and is estimated to cost $7.4 million. The package includes a 10-year, 100 percent tax abatement on property improvements, an Inner City Incentive Fund Grant worth $224,000 and waiver of SAWS fees for $100,000. Agenda item

The other items approved by City Council on Thursday.

•Economic Development Action Plan: “… as required by the City’s annual agreement with the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (EDF) (plan) to provide services to achieve the community’s goals for economic development.” Agenda item.View the plan.

• Events Trust Fund: City investing $827,915 into the fund to be eligible for up to $6 million from state for attracting certain conventions and meetings to the Alamodome and the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Agenda item

• Nix/Houston St. Garage: License agreement with Nix Health Care System for use of the city’s Houston Street Parking Garage. Agenda item